When the Weather Outside is Frightful

Last Thursday the temperatures climbed into the 40's. We watched the piles of snow from the Blizzard of 2022 begin to dwindle. There was bare pavement and even though the day was grey and cloudy, I felt the stirrings of Spring in my heart as it tuned into a few birds singing their song. I found a spot of beauty in the sky:

 

When I saw the forecast for Friday I thought, "This can't be happening. They must be getting it wrong." 

There was a Winter Weather Watch that turned into a Winter Weather Advisory with flash freezing. Friday morning brought lots of rain and we thought, "Yup they missed the forecast." We went about our day. The social media feed filled with car accidents and a flash freeze happening across the region. The rain turned to sleet and covered sidewalks, bushes and cars.

I was in awe of how quickly it happened. 

Having yet another Friday storm begged the question of whether or not we would be able to get out for our Saturday morning run. Tom and Ruth Anne had a half marathon scheduled on their training plan. I am not one to experience cabin fever but as the sleet rained down (pun intended) I felt agitated. I knew I had no control over the weather and the ice that quickly gripped the region so I knew I had to get a grip on myself!

I meditated and surrendered to what was happening. Fortunately Tom was able to safely get our groceries. We hoped that our Town would do a good job at making our neighborhood safe for our Saturday run. 

I felt deep in my soul that we just had to get out for our Saturday run. Nine miles on the treadmill for Ruth Anne last Sunday followed by two days of running in the cold caused her knee to become injured. Fortunately she had an appointment with her sports acupuncturist on Wednesday. He is also a physical therapy assistant and personal trainer. He used a combination of sports acupuncture, manipulative therapy and KT tape to facilitate recovery. Tom had dug us out from the Blizzard of 2022 and done a 10K on the treadmill. His back and legs were very sore. We knew there was no way we would do another treadmill run. My knees were not happy with my 5K on the treadmill.

As the official Marathon Manager for Tom and Ruth Anne, I got everything ready for their Half Marathon; their longest run in this training cycle. They both thought I was crazy to go ahead as if we were going to be able to get out and get in a run but I know the power of intention.

We woke up to freezing temperatures but glorious sunshine streaming through our windows. It was hard to tell whether or not the streets were safe to run. We debated about whether or not we would get in our run and if the answer were yes, where we would go. As I looked out the window, a runner passed by. "It's a sign," I yelled upstairs to Tom and Ruth Anne who were getting dressed.

I filled up the water bottles and set up the 'aid station' on the dining room table. We donned our layers and did a "Gooo Team" before heading out the door.

The first few moments were testy as we all worked to find our footing. Ruth Anne wanted to abort the mission but I pointed out, "We have no choice. It's too late to head over to try to find another route. We can't do the treadmill especially for a Half Marathon for you and Tom. There's lots of bare ground. It's time for a mental toughness run."

When we crossed paths during our loops, I was going to suggest that they might think about a run/walk strategy given the conditions. I saw them walking and they shared that they decided on that strategy after their first few miles! 

The warmth of the sun despite the cold air was delicious. 

I could feel the Divine with us during every step.

I felt triumphant after my 5K and experienced the excitement and anticipation of Tom and Ruth Anne doing their longest run for this training cycle preparing for the Providence Marathon and raising money and awareness for Victory Programs and their ReVision Urban Farm. I rang my cowbell as they completed their 21 loops on Eliot Street for 13.1 miles!

As we celebrated with pizza and tuna subs we reminisced about our Boston Marathon training. 21 loops around the neighborhood was sure better than 117 laps around the BU track. We felt the sense of celebration of Hyannis Marathon Weekend even though we won't be going to Hyannis this year. I felt a deep sense of joy and exhilaration rise up within me.

There is so much we are yet unable to experience during COVID to feel good but doing good for others is a wonderful antidote to feeling the restrictions that came with the pandemic. Not having access to a gym is a blessing. We have no choice but to go outside, brave the elements and experience the sense of power that comes with braving and embracing the elements.

These past two weeks the weather has been frightful, challenging the mettle of even the heartiest New England residents. As runners, we are trained to be strong, resilient and harness the power of our mental toughness to not let frightful weather makes our lives miserable.

As often happens in February, we see temperatures slowly on the rise and the snow piles melt. What a treat to see 57 degrees with sunshine for Saturday in the forecast.

When the weather outside is frightful I always remember, no storms last forever. Spring always returns. Resilience and strength prevail when we call those qualities up from deep within our heart and soul.

After the Storms

Blizzard and ice storms
sub zero temperatures
seemingly never ending winter
housebound
grey and gloom
thoughts turn to doom
what if's swirl with bone chilling winds.
Does any storm last forever?
Sun returns
greets me with a warm hug
stepping outside door's threshold
having met my threshold
temporarily lost my way
even in the midst of winter storms
though invisible to the eye
Divine's presence shines brightly
always guiding us home
into the light. 

From my heart to yours,

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon

Sweat Pants

 

After Saturday's morning meditation, I checked my weather app. Did my eyes deceive me? Nope - it was 19 degrees fahrenheit outside. The streets were relatively clear. Oh how I wanted to just hop on the treadmill and get in my 5K but Ruth Anne and Tom are training for the Providence Marathon and I knew they had to get outside for their 8 miles. Truth be told, I didn't feel like getting in miles after I made the mistake of doing a cursory check of the news headlines. I have opted to unsubscribe to the Boston Globe in my inbox. I cleared my energy and kicked my own behind with a fresh mindset.

We had prepped our clothes the night before:

We opened the door to get into the mindset of embracing the cold and psyching ourselves up to get in the miles despite the weather. Fortunately, the sun was shining. We debated about whether to do the Carriage Road on Heartbreak Hill or a neighborhood run. Since Tom and Ruth Anne had 8 miles, we opted for the Carriage Road and I would be support crew.

We were spoiled by moderate temperatures and dry ground until now. 

We had our hearty pre-run breakfast, loaded up the car with provisions that included a book for me to read while waiting for Tom and Ruth Anne to finish their run and post-run fueling bananas.

Tom, Ruth Anne and I warm up together and they go off at their pace. 

There I was left to navigate the slush, snow and ice on the Newton Hills. One of the thoughts I have had to overcome is the programming I received after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome; "You have to be extremely careful if you are going to go out in winter. You should use a cane with an ice gripper and avoid falls for you are at high risk for a fracture." I straightened me spine and struck a power pose infusing myself with confidence. There were other runners on the Hills training for Boston. I fired up my mirror neurons reminding myself that while I may be slower than other runners, I am a runner, healed, healthy and strong. I've got this!

It was a cold, challenging run as runs after a snowstorm often are and I had to come up with an image that was going to help me get through.

"Sweat pants!" I thought about how great I was going to feel once I was back in the house changed out of my layers of running clothes and into my sweat pants. I transcended the challenge and discomfort of the moment by imagining how accomplished I would feel having conquered the Hills and the conditions. I also looked for the beauty in my run.

How blessed to see a heart in the snow, a bright blue sky and orbs letting me know that I was not running alone but Source's present was with me every step of the way; as the Divine has been with me whenever I faced challenges in my life.

Even though I turned around at the halfway point of 1.55 miles, my total miles were 3.2. I stretched when I got to the car, turned on the heater and WERS Standing Room Only on the radio while I warmed up and had my banana and hydration. 

"Hey where are you?" Tom and Ruth Anne asked in a text.

"I'm at the car and you?"

"We're heading there now and then we will have another two miles."

"Great. See you soon!"

We felt exhilarated for what we accomplished in less than optimal conditions. The big question after our Saturday run is, "What's for lunch?" 

 While Tom whipped up breakfast for lunch, I changed into my sweat pants. The comfort and relief was even more than what I imagined while navigating the hills. We savored every well deserved bite and after our food was digested, we settled into a deep meditation with Jamie purring by my side.

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness,

Mary

Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma

Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews

My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon